NFL Draft 2012: How the Draft Has Reshaped the NFL Playoff Picture

Thanks to fantastic moves during the 2012 NFL draft, several teams have elevated themselves greatly this week. In fact, the league's playoff picture has shifted solely based on just a few selections. 

A few perennial contenders made themselves a whole lot better, while a team at the bottom of the league now looks ready to make a jump to the next level. The following are the franchises that did the most to get better, and each team could be ready to contend in 2012. 

Green Bay Packers

After a 15-1 season, Green Bay could have made one or two moves and just remained content with a really nice roster, but the Packers clearly were not satisfied.

The Pack surrendered 411.6 yards per game during the 2011 season, which was a ridiculous total for a Super Bowl contending team. The franchise needed a good defensive draft, and general manager Ted Thompson got it.

The Packers scored USC defensive end/outside linebacker Nick Perry in the first round, and I had him rated as this draft's best pure pass rusher. They then landed Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy in the second round, who I had with a late first-round grade.

Then, Thompson landed Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward whose impeccable instincts will make him an immediate contributor. 

By getting Perry in the first round, then scoring Worthy and Hayward in the second, the Packers got a whole lot better with just three picks. They should once again be Super Bowl favorites in 2012.

Pittsburgh Steelers

I have no idea how the Steelers got so lucky, but somehow they landed Stanford guard David DeCastro at No. 24. Then, they saw Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams fall into their laps at No. 56.

Both guys were considered high first-round talents, though Adams' off-field issues are what caused him to drop.

Then, Pittsburgh landed a heady inside linebacker in Miami's Sean Spence at No. 86. He should step in to replace the departed James Farrior immediately. But the Steelers' best pick in the draft came when they traded up to No. 109 to land Washington nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu.

Ta'amu fits Pittsburgh's scheme perfectly, and with Casey Hampton getting older, the Washington product is definitely the future. I had Ta'amu with a high second-round grade, so the fact that he dropped all the way to the Steelers is incredible.

Pittsburgh filled all four of their top needs with four guys who have incredibly high ceilings. It's hard not to envision them as the favorites in the AFC.

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers did an outstanding job improving their roster through free agency, and that process continued in the draft as they landed four outstanding players with their first four picks.

In addition to being great players, all four of San Diego's top picks are high-character guys.

In the first round, they scored the best value in the draft, as South Carolina's Melvin Ingram fell to them at No. 18. Ingram was arguably the best all-around defender in the draft and should improve the team's woeful pass rush immediately.

Then, UConn defensive lineman Kendall Reyes fell to the Chargers at No. 49. I had Reyes with a late first-round grade thanks to his versatility and incredible football I.Q. San Diego then filled another need by trading up to No. 73 and landing LSU safety Brandon Taylor. Taylor had a second-round grade on my board and was the third-best safety in the draft. 

The Chargers then decided to go offense in the fourth round, upgrading the tight end position behind Antonio Gates by getting the tall, athletic Ladarius Green out of Louisiana-Lafayette. 

San Diego general manager A.J. Smith and his team did an outstanding job addressing the team's needs and upgrading them accordingly. This was a great draft, and it has taken the Chargers from a team on the outside of the playoff picture to serious contenders in the AFC.

St. Louis Rams

After going 2-14 last season, the Rams desperately needed to have a great draft. At one time, they owned the No. 2 overall pick, but they traded down to No. 6, then No. 14, in order to stockpile selections.

After grabbing LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers with the 14th pick, St. Louis needed to have a great second day with five selections in the second and third rounds. 

General manager Les Snead nailed it on Friday.

First, he grabbed athletic Appalachian State receiver Brian Quick at No. 33, then gambled on North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins at No. 39. Jenkins is a top-10 talent with serious character concerns, but playing with savvy veteran Cortland Finnegan could whip him in to shape. 

The Rams then got a great value at No. 50 in Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, who should help the team immediately and take pressure off Steven Jackson. St. Louis then finished off their big day by landing Montana cornerback Trumaine Johnson at No. 65, who carried a high second-round grade.

St. Louis has the roster to make a big jump next season and could leap up into contention for a wild-card berth. This was a fantastic draft that we could look back on in a few years as a turning point.